


warm hands, warm heart

by fangirl_squee



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: Childish Sulking, M/M, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-13 23:02:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16027814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirl_squee/pseuds/fangirl_squee
Summary: Being an expert in pattern magic cannot cure the common cold, but Fero may have something that works even better.





	warm hands, warm heart

**Author's Note:**

> For Emily - happy birthday!!!!! Here is The Boy
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks to Maddie, for speedy betaing

The weather over the forests surrounding the New Archives was  _ miserable _ .

 

“This weather,” said Lem, “is absolutely miserable.”

 

“You’re the one who wanted to go out,” said Fero. “I  _ told  _ you it was going to rain.”

 

Lem sighed. “But it was such a clear day before.”

 

“I’m a  _ druid _ ;” said Fero, “I  _ know _ when it’s going to rain.”

 

“Well you could have brought an umbrella,” said Lem, “if you we’re so certain.”

 

“I don’t have an umbrella,” said Fero, wrinkling his nose, “why didn’t  _ you _ bring an umbrella?”

 

“I need my hands free for the pattern,” said Lem, lifting his arms to gesture as much as he could without unbalancing the small pebbles balancing on them.

 

“Right,” said Fero.

 

Lem wasn’t looking at him because he was concentrating on the very important task of the pattern, but he could tell by Fero’s tone that he was rolling his eyes.

 

“I’m just  _ saying _ ,” continued Fero, “maybe you should leave the pattern for a day when it’s not raining.”

 

“But it’s almost finished now,” said Lem, trying to ignore the trickle of freezing water that was running down his spine, “I just need to do two more circle around this part of the mountain.”

 

“Yeah, but you could just do it another day,” said Fero. “If we stay out here much longer you’re gonna catch a cold.”

 

“If you’re so worried about catching a cold you can go home any time,” said Lem. “In fact, you’re probably more likely to catch a cold, because you’re smaller.”

 

“How does  _ that  _ mean I’m more likely to get sick?” said Fero.

 

“Germs are afraid of heights,” said Lem.

 

“That’s not-- he-ey!” said Fero, breaking off with a laugh, all annoyance forgotten.

 

Lem laughed too, pleased to have caused such a change. Fero was a lot faster to anger than any orc Lem had grown up with, but he was faster to laugh too.

 

Lem sneezed. A few of the pebbles on his arms fell off.

 

“Guess it’s time to go inside now,” said Fero.

 

Lem sighed, bending to pick up the fallen pebbles. “I suppose it would be easier to do this on a clear day.”

 

He sneezed again. Fero gave him a look, a sidelong, told-you-so look.

 

“I am  _ not _ getting sick,” said Lem, emphatically.

 

“Sure,” said Fero.

 

“It was just… just water tickling my nose, that’s all.”

 

“Sure thing buddy,” said Fero, “let’s get you inside before you get any more ticklish.”

 

“I’m not  _ going _ to get sick,” said Lem, “I have plenty of patterns in place to stop me from getting sick.”

  
  


Two days later, the rain hadn’t really let up. And Lem was feeling a lot more… ticklish.

 

“I can’t believe you made me get sick,” sniffed Lem.

 

Fero handed him a cup of hot tea. “I did try to tell you.”

 

Lem pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders, making a grumbling noise. He probably should have headed back to the New Archives when he’d started to... not feel his best, but it was hard to want to go back out into the rain and trudge up the muddy hill to his own, much colder, bed.

 

Fero’s cave home was out of the wind and kept surprisingly warm even in the cold winter months. Also warm was Fero, settled against Lem’s side, his hands wrapped around his own mug of tea.

 

“You feeling any better?” said Fero.

 

“No,” said Lem. He sniffed, for emphasis.

 

Fero hummed, setting down his mug of tea and looking up at Lem.

 

“Here, let me--”

 

He put his hand to Lem’s forehead, and then his own, humming thoughtfully.

 

“Well?” said Lem.

 

“I don’t know,” said Fero, “I mean, I don’t know how warm you normally are.”

 

Lem huffed a laugh. “Right, of course.”

 

“Do you  _ feel _ warmer than normal?” said Fero.

 

“No,” said Lem.

 

Fero thought for a moment. “Do you feel  _ colder _ than normal?”

 

“A little,” said Lem.

 

“Oh,” said Fero, “here--”

 

Before Lem could really process what was happening, he had a lap full of Fero. Fero wriggled under the blankets, pulling them across him too.

 

“I’m warm,” said Fero, looking up at Lem’s stunned expression, ”so I’ll warm  _ you _ up.”

 

Lem would have argued, but Fero  _ was _ very warm, and it wasn’t  _ so _ awful sharing a blanket with him.

 

“I suppose it  _ is _ the least you can do after getting me sick.”

 

“You got yourself sick,” said Fero, but there was no annoyance to his tone.

 

He leant back against Lem, the line of his small body warming across Lem’s chest. Lem took a small sip of tea and then lowered his arms, resting them on Fero’s warm shoulders. Fero shifted slightly, looking up at him.

 

“Do you feel any better yet?”

 

“No,” said Lem. He paused. “But I suppose I do feel a little warmer. Thank you.”

 

Fero reached up, twisting to face Lem as he put a hand to Lem’s forehead again. Lem winced a little as Fero shifted, his knees poking into Lem’s thighs, but still he leant towards Fero’s body, wanting to stay close to the warmth. Fero put his other hand on the back of Lem’s neck, steadying himself.

 

“Well?” said Lem.

 

“Hmm,” said Fero, “You’re a little warmer, I think.”

 

“Is that good or bad?”

 

Fero tilted his head. “I don’t know. Good, probably.”

 

Lem huffed a laugh. “Probably.”

 

“Yeah, said Fero, “ _ Probably _ .”

 

Fero shifted again, his other hand dropping to the back of Lem’s neck to mirror the other.

 

“What are you doing,” said Lem.

 

“Getting comfortable,” said Fero, spiking Lem in the thigh again with his knee.

 

“Will you just--” Lem put his hands to Fero’s waist, trying to hold him still, “ _ There _ .”

 

Fero made a face, wriggling in Lem’s grasp. His palms were hot against the back of Lem’s neck.

 

“But I’m not  _ comfy _ ,” said Fero.

 

“ _ I’m _ the one who’s sick,” said Lem.

 

“I’m trying to help!” said Fero, still wriggling.

 

His fingers curled in the hair at the back of Lem’s neck, ragged nails scraping against Lem’s skin. Lem inhaled sharply and Fero stilled.

 

“Sorry, did I--”

 

“No,” said Lem quickly, “No, it’s fine.”

 

“Okay,” said Fero.

 

He was still looking up at Lem, his hands clasped hotly at the back of Lem’s neck. He blinked, slowly, his eyes bright in the firelight. Lem leant towards the warmth of him. Fero leant up a little more, pressing his lips to Lem’s.

 

Lem’s eyes closed, his body relaxing into the kiss for a moment before he reared backwards. “ _ What _ ?”

 

“What do you mean  _ what _ ?” said Fero. “You  _ just _ said it was fine!”

 

“I didn’t mean  _ that _ ,” said Lem.

 

Fero’s cheeks flushed. “Oh. Um. I’ll just--”

 

He moved to get off Lem’s lap, leaving cold air in his wake. Lem clutched at Fero’s sides and Fero looked back up at him, eyes wide.

 

“Wait, you, um--” Lem bit his lip. “I um. Didn’t mean that but-- It is fine. If you want to, you know. Do that.”

 

Fero let out a slow breath. “I mean, if you think it’ll help…”

 

“Oh absolutely,” said Lem, leaning in, “I feel better already.”

  
  


A coda;

 

“I can’t  _ believe _ you got me sick,” said Fero.

 

“There’s no proof I did any such thing,” said Lem.

 

Fero scowled up at him, hunching under the blanket and almost disappearing from view. Lem could feel Fero lean against his chest, his small hand curling around the opening of Lem’s shirt collar.

 

“You could at least try to make me feel better,” whined Fero.

 

“Okay,” said Lem, and kissed him.

 

“I meant,” said Fero, slightly breathless after they had broken apart, “like make me soup or something.”

 

Lem blinked. “Oh.”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” said Fero, tugging him back down, “this works fine too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi: mariusperkins on most places


End file.
